Introduction to Soil Field Methods
Created by:
Mark W. Bowen
Department of Geography and Urban Planning
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Oshkosh, WI 54901
Phone: 920-424-7114
E-mail: bowenm@uwosh.edu
Purpose:
The purpose of this lab is for students to gain hands-on experience in the field describing soil
profiles and learning proper sample collection techniques.
Essential Learning Outcomes:
Be familiar with standard soil sampling equipment and techniques
Describe soil profiles in the field
Link soil properties with geomorphic processes
Instructor’s Notes:
Permission should be obtained before conducting this laboratory exercise on campus. Bucket
augering will disturb the soil and could potentially damage underground pipes, cables, etc. If you
are able to bucket auger on your campus, keep in mind that the soils may be highly disturbed and
not reflect the description in the soil survey.
Four-foot-long PVC pipes with 4” diameter work well for students to lay out there profiles in –
this makes it somewhat easier to keep the profile in order and identify horizons. For each group I
create field buckets – 5 gallon buckets that include all necessary smaller equipment (Munsell
book, Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils, tape measure, trowel, GPS, Abney level,
topographic map, soil survey, compass, and hand towels).
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Background:
Fieldwork is an integral part of any soil laboratory exercise since soils must first be collected
before they can be analyzed. It is extremely important to ensure that samples are collected as
carefully and precisely as possible to reduce errors and eliminate opportunities for sample
contamination. It is also important to add a geographic and geomorphic context to your
sampling procedures, as they are intimately linked to soil forming factors. Therefore, sample
collection is but one component of the fieldwork procedures.
Soil samples can be collected from a variety of environments using various methods to expose
the soil. One common, and often preferred method, is sampling of road cuts since the work of
exposing a clean face for sampling has mostly been done for you. Digging a large pit, either by
hand or with backhoe, is also common but is either very labor intensive or expensive. The third
common method of soil sample collection is by collection through coring. Coring allows you to
collect samples for the entire soil profile (or as deep as you can core) without having to expose a
face for sampling. All three methods have advantages and disadvantages.
Typical Field Equipment:
Sturdy boots
Field clothes
Gloves
Hat
Camera
Notebook
Pencil
Water
Soil survey
Shovel
Trowel
Tape measure
GPS
Water bottle
Acid bottle
Abney level
Flagging
Pins
Backsaver
Topographic maps
Munsell Color Chart
Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils (Version 3.0)
Pocket knife
Pocket tool (i.e. Leatherman)
Bandana
Sample containers
Compass
Bucket auger
Exercise:
Complete a site description and soil profile description using the attached sheet. Collect a soil
profile using a bucket auger to incrementally collect samples. Lay samples out on the ground to
make a continuous profile. Complete descriptions for each bucket auger sample collected.
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Horizon
Land cover:
Name(s):
Date:
Lat-Long:
Elevation:
Geomorphic
Position:
Slope aspect:
Slope gradient:
Depth (cm)
Color
Structure
Hand Texture
Efferv.
(PDP Code)
Profile Description
Site Description
Site Notes
Profile Notes
1. Using the maps in the back of the county soil survey, what soil series is the soil classified as?
2. Now turn to the soil series and morphology description for this soil in the text of the county
soil survey and complete the following table:
Horizon
Depth (Inches)
Munsell color
Structure
3. How did the county soil survey description compare to your soil profile description?
4. What evidence is there that the soil profile has been disturbed by human activity? Consider
indirect effects such as vegetation change, altered hydrology, nearby buildings and other
structures and direct effects such as excavations, dumping material, etc.
5. Given what you know about soils in general and this soil in particular, is this a good location
for the university to build on? Why or why not?
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